


tell me where the line is

by carpesoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Animal AU, Because it's me, Crack, Fluff, Humor, M/M, That's right, are you even surprised?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-16 02:18:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8082871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpesoo/pseuds/carpesoo
Summary: kyungsoo has always preferred living in solitude. that all changes when he meets chanyeol.





	

**Author's Note:**

> originally writen for [](http://takostation.livejournal.com/profile)[takostation](http://takostation.livejournal.com/).

  


  
  
  
do kyungsoo has always thought of himself as a creature of habit. he likes the same old routine and doesn’t adapt well to change. it had taken him several weeks to get used to it when his roommate, kim jongin, had dyed his hair blond. incidentally, jongin dyed his hair back to black the day after kyungsoo had finally accepted the new look and found himself right back at square one. he harbours a grudge over this matter to this very day.  
  
an aversion to change notwithstanding, it doesn’t take much to keep kyungsoo happy. give him his own space, fresh food and water, and he’s pretty much set. he enjoys the simple things in life, not one for materialistic belongings or possessing a desire for an extravagant lifestyle. no, he’s more than content leading a quiet and peaceful life. that is, if jongin allows him to, what with his throwing house parties, gatherings, shindigs, and the like almost every weekend.  
  
kyungsoo doesn’t view himself a social being, far from it, actually. unlike his roommate, he prefers to spend his time alone, moving at a different speed than most. the mere thought of a crowded room has kyungsoo withdrawing into his shell. with a continuous flow of people parading through their home, kyungsoo has no choice but to meet them all, especially since jongin is adamant about introducing him to everyone without fail. it’s jarring, how they coo and gush over how small and cute he is. kyungsoo isn’t small nor is he cute, and he detests being referred to as such.  
  
it’s not like kyungsoo can complain about it, really. it is jongin’s apartment, after all, and kyungsoo gets to stay in it rent-free. he knows he’s got a pretty sweet deal, so he’s not going to bite the hand that feeds him.  
  
however, much to kyungsoo’s relief, jongin seems to have settled on one guy in particular. a tall handsome man by the name of oh sehun, if kyungsoo remembers correctly. jongin had told him that he might be ‘ _the one_ ,’ and since then, the loud booming music that played for as long as the moon is out has become somewhat of a distant memory; now that had been a change kyungsoo was more than happy to welcome.  
  
kyungsoo likes sehun, almost as much as he’s fond of jongin. he’s kind hearted, not especially loud, and the best thing about him is that he doesn’t insist that kyungsoo join them. he leaves kyungsoo to himself and continues about his business as if kyungsoo weren’t there.  
  
that being said, sehun is a frequent visitor, often staying the night, though neither jongin nor sehun do much sleeping. and though kyungsoo doesn’t ever mean to, he’s caught the two of them fooling around on more than one occasion. he doesn’t stay around and watch, mind you, often fleeing the scene before things get too frisky.  
  
there are fleeting moments where—when kyungsoo observes the way jongin and sehun interact with each other—he feels a twinge of an emotion he’s never felt before: jealousy, perhaps. it dawns on him that it’s more than likely that he’ll never get to experience the same bond and closeness that his roommate and his boyfriend share. no one will look at kyungsoo the way they look at each other, or care about him in the same way, and in those rare instances when this feeling gets the better of him, kyungsoo feels a touch of loneliness.  
  
kyungsoo curses himself for ever having such thoughts when one fateful evening, sehun glances in kyungsoo’s direction and makes a comment to his boyfriend. “doesn’t kyungsoo look like he could do with a friend?”  
  
“no, no, no,” kyungsoo tries to maintain that he’s more than happy with his solitary way of life.  
  
“you think? i do feel bad sometimes, what with him almost always being alone like that,” kyungsoo overhears his roommate says and there’s a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
“you too, jongin?” kyungsoo feels betrayed, his worst nightmares are becoming reality. he regrets ever approving of jongin’s choice of lover, sehun proving himself to be quite the bad influence.  
  
“i’ll make sure to bring a new playmate to introduce kyungsoo to when i come over next time,” sehun says, snuggling into his boyfriend’s arms.  
  
the sight of the two lovebirds makes kyungsoo feels sick. retreating back to his spot, kyungsoo decides to rename the defecation process as ‘taking a sehun’.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“ _you look weird_ ” are the first words that kyungsoo hears from his _new friend_ ’s mouth, leaving a rather less than favourable first impression. although kyungsoo doesn’t place much importance on superficial appearance, he’s not exactly pleased for the way he looks to be described as _weird_. and coming from mr. creepy beady eyes, no less? well, that’s rich, kyungsoo thinks as he turns his head, not wanting to further acquaint himself with the new arrival.  
  
“come on, kyungsoo. don’t be like that,” jongin says, preventing kyungsoo from making his escape. “chanyeol will be staying with us from now on, so you should give him a chance.”  
  
kyungsoo freezes in his tracks. what did jongin just say? staying. with. us. _staying_ with us? no, he must’ve heard wrong, surely. it’s one thing to be rooming with jongin—he doesn’t use kyungsoo’s things, encroach on his privacy, and only makes contact when it’s one hundred percent necessary—but for chanyeol to join them as well? kyungsoo’s certain they won’t get along, chanyeol probably doesn’t even know the meaning of personal space.  
  
it takes all of five seconds for the last statement to be proven true, chanyeol is already poking kyungsoo with his gross—most likely unsanitary—fingers.  
  
“chanyeol’s super friendly, as you can see. i’m sure you’ll get on in no time,” sehun chimes in and flashes kyungsoo a toothy smile. kyungsoo doesn’t return the sentiment and instead scoots away from the nuisance.  
  
“let’s leave them to it, they probably don’t want an audience,” jongin says, lacing his fingers in between sehun’s and leading him out of the room.  
  
“no, please don’t leave me!” kyungsoo desperately pleads in vain, the bedroom door already closed behind them.  
  
he’s alone with chanyeol. just fucking brilliant. kyungsoo doesn’t care if chanyeol thinks poorly of him. kyungsoo has no intention of ever becoming friends with chanyeol, therefore chanyeol’s opinion holds no value. with no desire to entertain the guest (kyungsoo still hasn’t accepted that chanyeol will be staying on a more permanent basis), he makes his way to his bed. after all the unwanted excitement, kyungsoo feels his energy drained and requires a nap to recharge.  
  
chanyeol follows closely, circling kyungsoo. “what are you?” he asks curiously, running his eyes all over kyungsoo’s body.  
  
not only is chanyeol hyper, he’s inquisitive _and_ clueless—the traits that annoy kyungsoo the most. he closes his eyes and tries to ignore chanyeol’s existence.  
  
“i’ve never seen anything that looks like you. come on, tell me what you are. please, please, please?” chanyeol continues his whining, circling around kyungsoo incessantly.  
  
“i’m a leopard,” kyungsoo finally replies, beaming with pride. he’s heard sehun talk about leopards before, describing them as majestic creatures with power and grace.  
  
chanyeol snorts at kyungsoo’s response.  
  
“what’s so funny?” kyungsoo asks, irritated by the other’s reaction.  
  
“you. you’re pulling my tail, aren’t you? you can’t be a leopard.”  
  
“why not?”  
  
“because _i’m_ a leopard, and you look nothing like me,” chanyeol informs him.  
  
“you? a leopard? i don’t think so. you’re not majestic in the slightest. you’re all… slimy.”  
  
“well, what’s that weird thing on your back?” chanyeol retorts, jumping onto kyungsoo’s shell and clinging onto him despite kyungsoo’s efforts to shrug him off.  
  
they find out later that they were both wrong, neither of them are leopards. turns out, kyungsoo is a leopard _tortoise_ and chanyeol a leopard _gecko_. kyungsoo had never been more relieved to discover that despite the common element, it in no way meant they were of the same species, not even slightly related.  
  
it also meant that kyungsoo felt no obligation to become friends with chanyeol and continued to ignore the other. drawing a line with his head, kyungsoo had clearly stated to chanyeol that he is not to cross over the marking. “this is my side of the enclosure and that’s your side. as long as you stay on your side, i think we’ll be able to live peacefully alongside each other.”  
  
kyungsoo really shouldn’t have bothered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“kyungsoo-yah?” chanyeol calls out to the tortoise. “where are you? i wanna show you something. i know last time you said shedding was gross but you gotta see how cool this looks, it’s like a bodysuit made of skin!”  
  
kyungsoo can feel chanyeol approaching but there's nothing he can do. he can't escape, he can't run away, not that he could ever outrun the other. he has no other alternative but to hope that chanyeol is unable to locate him.  
  
“er...kyungsoo-yah?” chanyeol asks as he approaches the tortoise.  
  
kyungsoo knows that chanyeol's closeby, detecting the gecko's shadow on the ground. he hears the dry leaves crunching below chanyeol's feet. “no! don’t look at me!” he shrieks, burying his head into the grainy substrate.  
  
“what happened?”  
  
“what are you doing? chanyeol, get off me!”  
  
chanyeol has jumped onto kyungsoo's exposed stomach, much to the tortoise's horror. he flails his legs, trying to shake the gecko off of him, but chanyeol's adhesive toe pads prevent him from being thrown off kyungsoo's shell. “get off me, chanyeol!” kyungsoo repeats, louder this time.  
  
“alright, alright. keep your shell on,” chanyeol says, climbing off. instead, he sticks his face mere millimetres from kyungsoo's.  
  
“do you mind giving me a little space, i need to flip myself back over,” kyungsoo says, withdrawing his head and limbs back into his shell. he dislikes the close proximity and gazing directly into chanyeol's eyes is, quite frankly, unnerving. the gecko has no eyelids, for god's sake. it always creeps the hell outta him whenever chanyeol's licks his eyeballs to keep them moist.  
  
“do you need me to lend you a hand? or tail?”  
  
“it's fine, i got this,” kyungsoo tells him, not wanting to accept any assistance. he doesn't want to owe chanyeol any favours, the gecko will probably never let him hear the end of it.  
  
“okay, if you say so.”  
  
kyungsoo can't tell if the gecko is offended by his decision to decline his offer, but he doesn't dwell too much on it. he's got more important things to focus on. twenty minutes pass and kyungsoo still hasn't made much progress in flipping himself back onto his feet. he flails his legs, and pushes his head into the sand, trying to use it as leverage to right himself.  
  
“chanyeol? are you still there?” kyungsoo swallows his pride and calls out to the other.  
  
“sup, buddy?”  
  
kyungsoo takes a deep breath before he speaking. he’s not sure if he’s going to regret, he supposes only time will tell. “i don't suppose the offer still stands. yanno, you... helping me out?”  
  
“of course! that's what friends are for! here, grab onto my tail." chanyeol casts his back end to the tortoise.  
  
kyungsoo clamps down onto chanyeol's tail, careful to not bite down too hard lest he hurt the gecko.  
  
“are you ready? i'm going to pull you now, okay?”  
  
kyungsoo nods with a mouthful of scaly cartilage. he tries to banish the image from his mind and instead, chooses to imagine something more pleasant, like a strawberry. it's been awhile since he's last tasted the sweetness of his favourite fruit. he remembers jongin regretfully telling him that they're no longer in season, but he'll be sure to get some for him once they're back in stock.  
  
“ow! ease up, kyungsoo!”  
  
kyungsoo loosens his grip on the tail. “oh, sorry about that!” he apologises after getting a little too carried away.  
  
chanyeol starts to march forward, pulling kyungsoo along with him to assist in turning him over. after several moments, kyungsoo realises that he's just being dragged along the substrate and is no closer to being back on his feet.  
  
“this isn't working,” kyungsoo says, releasing chanyeol's appendage from his hold.  
  
“wait, don't give up just yet. maybe i just need to run a little faster, create some momentum. let's try one more time!”  
  
“okay...” kyungsoo feels hesitant, he isn't sure it's going to work but there's no harm in giving it another shot, right?  
  
kyungsoo couldn't be more wrong.  
  
“and off we go!” chanyeol hollers as he resumes his stride, pulling kyungsoo along with more gusto than previously. the force in addition to kyungsoo’s heavy weight—relative to chanyeol’s—causes the gecko’s tail to detach itself from his body.  
  
kyungsoo spits it out, traumatised by the sudden turn of events. "oh, my god! CHANYEOL!" he screams, staring at the still wriggling tail in front of him.  
  
“oh, shit. my bad. i had a feeling this was going to happen.”  
  
“you knew?” kyungsoo is flabbergasted, a feeling soon replaced with an intense wave of repulsion. did he just rip off an actual part of chanyeol’s body? he feels queasy, his lunch of collard and mustard greens threatening to make a second appearance.  
  
“but don't worry, it'll regenerate. i have super powers.” chanyeol nudges kyungsoo gently, waving his tailless rear at the tortoise.  
  
“that's not the issue here, do you not understand how horrifying it is for me? i just pulled your tail off!”  
  
“it's fine, kyungsoo-yah. i don't blame you or anything.”  
  
“and why would you? it's not my fault. this was all _your_ idea! and you weren't even useful! i'm still on my back!”  
  
“well, i think you're on your own now, seeing as you chewed off my tail and all.”  
  
“just leave me alone. it's not the first time this has happened and i was more than capable before you came along.” kyungsoo resumes his flailing his limbs in an effort to right himself with no consideration as to whether or not he strikes the gecko.  
  
“don't be like that, kyungsoo-yah.”  
  
“leave!” kyungsoo snaps, dismissing the gecko. he withdraws back into his shell as he waits for chanyeol to leave. after several minutes of silence pass, kyungsoo slowly peeks his head out, only to butt head with the gecko’s.  
  
chanyeol lets the shed tail drop from between his teeth to the ground—right beside kyungsoo's head. “okay, i'll leave this here to keep you company. i hope you flip back over soon.”  
  
"get that thing away from me! chanyeol? chanyeol?!"  
  
it's official—kyungsoo hates chanyeol.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
kyungsoo awakens one peaceful morning, surprised that chanyeol hasn’t chosen his shell as his place of rest like he does most nights. perhaps chanyeol’s finally paid heed to the tortoise’s constant reminder that his shell is not a bed and the gecko should stop treating it as such.  
  
starting off the day on a pleasant footing, kyungsoo takes a slow stroll towards his feeding bowl and shallow dish of water. he’s delighted to see a thin apple slice among the green vegetation. it just gets better and better. he takes a bite, relishing the sweet yet tart taste. he doesn’t get treated to fruit very often, jongin once explaining that it should only account for five percent of his diet or else it might make him feel poorly. following the slice of apple and a few fresh leaves, kyungsoo’s hunger is pretty satiated and he debates whether or not he should keep eating or revisit the plate later.  
  
opting for the latter, kyungsoo decides he’ll just take a few sips of water instead. as he climbs into his water dish, he notices chanyeol’s mealworms have been left untouched. it’s an uncommon occurrence, the gecko usually feasts on his bugs during the night, and his plate is often empty by the time kyungsoo goes to feed in the morning. perhaps jongin fed him more than the normal recommended amount, kyungsoo muses before dipping his head into the cool water once more.  
  
after his drink, kyungsoo continues his standard daily routine. he stares at the clock hanging on jongin’s wall until the short arrow points to the number three. then he takes refuge in his shell, making the most of his alone time before chanyeol wakes up and latches onto him.  
  
dusk arrives and kyungsoo remains undisturbed, not hearing a peep from the other. kyungsoo doesn’t really know what to do at this time, a chunk of his schedule having suddenly become available. on a typical day, he’d be spending this time either in hiding or trying to shake the gecko off his shell, or hiding.  
  
come to think of it, kyungsoo hasn’t seen or heard jongin either. the whole day has been filled with surprises, kyungsoo can’t remember the last time he was completely alone. he would’ve thought he’d be thrilled to have the place to himself after sharing his space with another but thoughts of chanyeol plague his mind. it’s not like kyungsoo’s worried about the gecko or anything. chanyeol not being around is different and kyungsoo doesn’t like change.  
  
the tortoise hears the door open, and the sound of jongin’s voice following shortly after the door closes. he’s talking to sehun on the phone and kyungsoo listens in on the conversation. “don’t play with him too much during the day, they’re nocturnal. nocturnal, sehun. it means they’re more active during the night time. okay, love you too.”  
  
an hour passes since jongin’s return but there’s still no sign of chanyeol. a shadow appears, casting a sudden darkness that envelops kyungsoo. startled, his head darts up and finds his owner standing in front of the enclosure. the human replaces both water dishes with fresh clean water and sets it back down again. jongin also removes the leftovers from chanyeol’s food dish, but the plate is empty when it reappears. why isn’t he feeding chanyeol anymore? where the hell is he? what’s going on? it’s the longest time kyungsoo’s been apart from him since they were first introduced.  
  
“hey there, little guy. are you feeling okay? you didn’t finish your turnip greens.” jongin frowns at him and takes another look at his plate of food. “but you ate your apple slice. you need to eat your greens or else i won’t give you anymore fruit, okay?” jongin pets the top of kyungsoo’s head with his index finger, rubbing the coarse skin gently.  
  
kyungsoo nuzzles into jongin’s finger, waiting for his owner to continue talking, offering an explanation to gecko’s vanishing act. jongin doesn’t mention chanyeol’s name, leaving kyungsoo in the dark, questioning his whereabouts.  
  
okay, maybe he’s a _little_ concerned as to the gecko’s wellbeing.  
  
when chanyeol finally emerges three moons later, kyungsoo finds himself sighing with relief and almost calls out the gecko’s name in the heat of the moment. he manages to stop himself just in time. that was a close call, _too_ close. taking a deep breath, he retreats into his shell to regain his composure after the fleeting moment of excitement.  
  
there’s no doubt that chanyeol is going to want to catch up, discuss what’s happened in his absence but kyungsoo fears he’ll blurt out something he’ll regret. his feelings are currently jumbled up and he doesn’t trust himself, not when he’s not in control of his emotions. what if he exhibits displays of affection? chanyeol’s already clingy as it is, kyungsoo doesn’t need chanyeol becoming a permanent fixture on his body.  
  
this is precisely why he doesn’t care for change, it throws him into a state of disarray. to avoid embarrassing himself, kyungsoo pretends he’s fast asleep when chanyeol dashes toward him at a hurtling speed. he slows down as he approaches, observing kyungsoo’s withdrawn appearance.  
  
“kyungsoo, you asleep?” chanyeol whispers quietly, not wanting to disturb the tortoise in case he really is sleeping.  
  
kyungsoo holds his breath, careful not to move a muscle. fortunately, the tortoise is in the safe haven inside of his shell, making it rather effortless to feign being unconscious.  
  
“i stayed with sehun for a few days, it was fun. it would’ve better if you were there though,” chanyeol continues talking regardless, recounting his experience at sehun’s place. once he’s finished telling his stories, he burrows himself beside kyungsoo. the sun’s light is peeking through the curtains when chanyeol speaks again. “i really missed you, kyungsoo. sleep well.”  
  
_i missed you, too._ wait, this is new. did he really just think that? kyungsoo isn’t quite sure how to interpret the turn of events.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
it’s been half a year since chanyeol was first introduced to kyungsoo. perhaps the more accurate description would be, rudely thrust into his life without his consent. and despite the rocky first couple of months, things have settled down considerably and kyungsoo has grown rather fond of the gecko. the line separating their two halves of the vivarium no longer present, a distant memory to both creatures, they now spend a large part of their waking hours together.  
  
kyungsoo finds himself used to the presence and though he would never admit it to anyone—not even to himself—kyungsoo feels a strong attachment to chanyeol. he becomes a shell full of nerves when he’s away from the gecko for too long, like when jongin and sehun fetch him from the enclosure to play with or during their separate bath times. he’s even almost used to chanyeol’s skin shedding process. _almost_.  
  
it’s during a power outage when kyungsoo finally realises, just how _much_ he cares for the gecko. the darkness is to be expected, it’s not unlike the usual hours of lights out. but kyungsoo—in the midst of dozing off—notices the temperature dropping at an alarmingly increasing rate.  
  
“chanyeol!” he calls out to the gecko lying flat on his back, perched on top of his hard shell like he usually is. “do you feel that?”  
  
“don’t worry, kyungsoo. i’m not excited or anything, it’s just my tail you’re feeling.”  
  
“not that! i’m talking about the air, is it just me or is it starting to feel a little chilly?”  
  
chanyeol climbs off kyungsoo’s shell and scampers off, pressing a tongue against the glass enclosure. “shit! i think you’re right,” he reports as soon as he returns back to kyungsoo’s location. “what are we going to do?”  
  
“i don’t know, chanyeol. but don’t wander off too far, we can’t be sure what’s happening. we need to keep our guard up.”  
  
“do you think i could fit inside of your shell, you know, in case we’re attacked or something?” chanyeol remains close to kyungsoo as they explore their surroundings.  
  
kyungsoo shakes his head. “i don’t think so, but we could dig a little hole, deep enough for you to fit into and i can lie on top and protect you?” kyungsoo is on high alert, wary of any danger that may come their way. he may be slow, but evolution has equipped him with his trusty shield. “but worst comes to worst, you may need to make a run for it.”  
  
“i’m not leaving you behind, soo.” it’s the first time chanyeol’s ever addressed him with the shortened name. it surprises kyungsoo at first, unfamiliar with being called by anything other than his full name, but he finds himself wanting to hear chanyeol say it again, and perhaps keep using it on a permanent basis. though, it’s hardly the time to discuss the topic, kyungsoo tells himself.  
  
“look, chanyeol. i won’t be able to keep up with you so you should—”  
  
“no! i’m not going to abandon you! i just won’t do it! whatever happens, we’re in this together, okay? it’s me and you, soo!”  
  
the nickname appears again and kyungsoo feels a warm sensation coursing through his body. he knows it’s impossible, he’s a cold blooded reptile, incapable of experiencing such a phenomenon. kyungsoo soon realises that the heat is being emitted via two handwarmers jongin’s placed in the enclosure in an attempt to keep his pets warm.  
  
“are they dangerous?” chanyeol eyes the foreign objects from a distance.  
  
“i don’t think they can hurt us?”  
  
chanyeol inches closer with extreme caution, inspecting the handwarmers. once he’s satisfied that they’re not harmful in the slightest, chanyeol jumps on top of one them, with his limbs outstretched. “woah, they’re like hot airbeds! cool!”  
  
kyungsoo silently thanks their owner for taking care of him and chanyeol, making sure that they’re not too cold.  
  
“hey, let’s pull them closer together, side by side,” chanyeol suggests, nudging the handwarmer with his head.  
  
“here, let me do it.” kyungsoo opens his mouth, clamping down on the material, slowly dragging it across the substrate.  
  
“i think i heard sehun say one time during that snowstorm, that skin on skin contact keeps the body warmer,” chanyeol tells kyungsoo as they nestle on top of their respective handwarmer. they’ve rummaged for some dry leaves for chanyeol to use as a makeshift blanket, to try to retain as much of the heat as they can. the gecko had tried to cover kyungsoo’s shell, but the smooth curved surface meant that all the leaves had fallen straight to the ground.  
  
“i don’t think that’ll work with us. we’re not warm blooded, remember?” kyungsoo points out, placing another leaf on top of chanyeol’s body, effectively ‘tucking him into bed.’  
  
“oh, yeah.”  
  
the vivarium falls quiet, with only the sounds of jongin’s soft snoring.  
  
“hey, chanyeol?” kyungsoo calls out, ending the silence.  
  
“yeah?”  
  
kyungsoo can hear the rustle of leaves and feels chanyeol resting his head on one of his arms. “i’m glad you’re here,” he confesses.  
  
“me, too. oh, and kyungsoo?”  
  
“soo. i want you to call me ‘soo’ from now on,” kyungsoo informs the gecko. he’s pretty sure if he were a human, he’d be flushing a bright hue of pink. like the way jongin had when sehun had asked him if he could call him ‘nini.’  
  
“soo. i like the way it sounds.”  
  
_you’re the one who called me that, silly._ the darkness shrouds kyungsoo’s smile.  
  
“i’m sorry for calling you weird that one time. and for the whole tail business,” chanyeol apologises, pressing the tip of his nose against kyungsoo’s and rubbing them together.  
  
“it’s okay, i forgive you.”  
  
kyungsoo hears chanyeol humming contently as he closes his eyes, hoping that the power will return shortly. he fears that as nightfall continues, the temperature will drop even lower.  
  
“hey, soo. you still awake?”  
  
“no.” kyungsoo opens his eyes, unsure of how much time has passed. judging by the lukewarm temperature of the handwarmer, he estimates at least several hours. the sun will probably be out soon.  
  
“do you remember when jongin was talking to us before, about sehun? and how he loved him?”  
  
“what about it?”  
  
“i think i do, too,” chanyeol whispers quietly.  
  
kyungsoo turns to face the gecko. “you love sehun?”  
  
“what? no, i mean _you_.”  
  
“oh.” kyungsoo’s brain slowly processes the information. chanyeol loves him? sure, they’ve been spending time together but it’s not like they had other creatures they could hang out with. kyungsoo questions whether or not chanyeol would be chirping the same tune if there were other animals in their confinement. as it stands, it was either each other, or complete solitude. but the gecko had _chosen_ to cling onto kyungsoo. literally. that counts for something, right? chanyeol _loves_ him. the more kyungsoo thinks about it, the more certain he becomes. he reciprocates the sentiment—he’d choose chanyeol over solitude. life really wouldn’t be the same without the gecko. “me, too,” he finally replies.  
  
“you love you?” chanyeol asks, curling his small nimble body around one of kyungsoo’s arms.  
  
“no, i mean _you_ as well. now, ssssh and lemme sleep.” the tortoise closes his eyes again and falls back to sleep with a smile on his face.  
  
“okay. goodnight, soo.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  
both kyungsoo and chanyeol are completely oblivious to the fact that they’ve become a viral sensation on the internet. courtesy of the photos sehun posted on his instagram of when they were nestled together during the blackout. sehun has since started a new account, dedicated exclusively to photos of the tortoise and gecko, highlighting their friendship.  
  
there have also been countless professional photographers, equipped with elaborate light setups and bright flashes that hurt chanyeol’s more sensitive eyes. kyungsoo wants to tell them all to go away, but is unable communicate his disgruntled protests. they’ve been featured in tons of magazines and even have an official photobook releasing in the near future.  
  
kyungsoo overhears a human approaching jongin one day, offering to pay jongin a large sum of money in exchange for chanyeol and him. he breathes a sigh of relief when jongin politely tells him to leave, and that they’re not for sale. jongin has declined all other proposals since, be it guest appearances on television or other photoshoots. of course, sehun still sticks his phone into the vivarium every now and then but at least he’s got the sense to switch off the flash before snapping his photos.  
  
kyungsoo reckons if sehun can make jongin smile the way chanyeol makes him smile, he might not be such a bad human, after all. he still calls it a ‘sehun’ whenever he poops, though. he’s grown accustomed to it, and would rather not change his ways. old habits die hard.  
  
speaking of, chanyeol still hasn’t learned the meaning of personal space or when to shut the hell up. but unlike before, it doesn’t bother kyungsoo anymore. bottom line is, as long as he’s got chanyeol by his side, or on top of his shell—he’s happy.  
  
  
  
  
**end.**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: this might go without saying, but please do not—under any circumstance—try to recreate any scenes from this fic. this fic was written as a purely fictional au—leopard tortoises and leopard geckos are solitary creatures and should not be kept in the same enclosure, doing so could endanger them.)
> 
> comments make me happy face.
> 
> ❥ _[carpesoo.flavors.me](http://carpesoo.flavors.me/)_


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